A GLANCE AT SELECTED

PHILIPPINE POLITICAL
CARICATURE IN ALFRED McCOY’S
PHILIPPINE CARTOONS: POLITICAL
CARICATURE OF THE AMERICAN
ERA (1900-1941)
 Caricature

A picture, description, or imitation

of a person in which certain
striking characteristics are
exaggerated in order to create a
comic or grotesque effect
 Political Cartoons
A drawing (often including caricature)
made for the purpose of conveying
editorial commentary on politics,
politicians, and current events. Such
cartoons play a role in the political
discourse of a society that provides for
freedom of speech and of the press.
They are a primarily opinion-oriented
medium and can generally be found
on the editorial pages of newspapers
and other journalistic outlets, whether
in print or electronic form.
⮚Political Cartoons and Caricature are a rather recent art form
⮚Veered away from the classical art by exaggerating human
features and poking fun at its subjects.
⮚Such art genre and technique became a part of the print
media as a form of social political commentary, which usually
targets persons of power and authority.
⮚Cartoons became an effective tool of publicizing opinions
through heavy use of symbolism.
Political Caricature of the
American Era (1900-1941)
In his book Philippines Cartoons: Political
Caricature of the American Era (1900-
1941), Alfred McCoy, together with
Alfredo Roces, compiled political
cartoons published in newspaper dailies
and periodicals in the aforementioned
time period.
Alfred W. McCoy ⮚ Born in The United States June 08, 1945
⮚ Main interests
• History of the Philippines
• Foreign policy of the United States
• European colonization of Southeast Asia
• Illegal drug trade
• Central Intelligence Agency covert operations
⮚ Notable works - The Politics of Heroin in Southeast
Asia (1972)
⮚ Dr Alfred W. McCoy is professor of SE Asian History
at the U. of Wisconsin at Madison where he also
serves as director of the Center for SE Asian
Studies, a federally-funded National Resource
Center.
 POLITICAL CARICATURE
OF THE AMERICAN
ERA,1900-41
⮚Awards Earned:
❑Philippine Catholic Mass Media
Award
❑Best Book of the Year for 1985.
❑Philippine National Book Award
for History, 1986.
❑Gintong Aklat Award(Manila)
Special Citation for History, 1987
Philippine political cartoons gained full
expression during the American era.
Filipino artists recorded national attitudes
toward the coming of the Americans as
well as the changing mores and times.
While the 377 cartoons compiled in this
book speak for themselves, historian
Alfred McCoy’s extensive research in
Philippine and American archives provides
a comprehensive background not only to
the cartoons but to the turbulent period
as well. Artist-writer Alfredo Roces, who
designed the book, contributes an essay
on Philippine graphic satire of the period.
PHILIPPINE POLITICAL
CARICATURE
 Published in The Independent on May 20, 1916.
The cartoon show a politician
from Tondo, named Dr.
Santos, passing his crown to
his brother-in-law, Dr.
Barcelona. A Filipino guy (as
depicted wearing salakot and
barong tagalog) was trying to
stop Santos, telling the latter
to stop giving Barcelona the
crown because it is not his to
begin with A PUBLIC POST IS NOT A HEREDITARY CROWN.
Published by The Independent on June 16, 1917
This was drawn by Fernando Amorsolo
and was aimed as a commentary to the
workings of Manila Police at that period.
Here we see a Filipino child who stole a
skinny chicken because he had nothing to
eat. The police officer was relentlessly
pursuing the said child. A man wearing a
salakot, labeled Juan de la Cruz was
grabbing the officer, telling him to leave
the small-time pickpockets and thieves
and to turn at the great thieves instead.
He was pointing to huge warehouses
containing bulk of rice, milk, and grocery WAR AGAINST SPECULATORS
products.
 ⮚Commentary on the
unprecedented cases
of colorum
automobiles

⮚The Philippine free

press published this
commentary when
fatal accidents
involving colorum
vehicles and taxis
DEATH CARS occurred too often
already
 ⮚Depicts a cinema
⮚A blown up police officer
was at the screen saying
that couples are not
allowed to neck and make
love in the theatre.
⮚ Two youngsters looked
horrified while an older
couple seemed amused.

OUR FLAMING YOUTH

 Published by The Independent on November 27, 1915.
Caricature of Uncle Sam riding a
chariot pulled by Filipinos wearing
school uniforms. The Filipino boys
were carrying American objects
like baseball bats, whiskey, and
boxing gloves. This cartoon was
based on an event in 1907 when
William Howard Taft was brought
to the Manila pier riding a chariot
pulled by the student of Liceo De
Manila. Such was condemned by
the nationalists at that time. UNCLE SAM RIDING A CHARIOT
Published by Lipang
Kalabaw on August 24, 1907
⮚We can see Uncle Sam rationing
porridge to the politicians and
members of the Progresista Party
(sometimes known as the
Federalista party) while member
of the Nacionalista Party look on
and wait for their turn.
⮚This cartoon depicts the
patronage of the United States
being coveted by politicians from
EL TURNO LOS PARTIDOS
either party.
ANALYSIS OF THE POLITICAL
CARICATURES DURING THE
AMERICAN PERIOD
⮚Transition from the Spanish Colonial period to the American
Occupation period demonstrated different strands of changes and
shifts in culture, society and politics.
⮚Americans drastically introduces democracy; far from the ideal
⮚Filipino were introduced to healthcare, modern transportation, and
media.
⮚Ushered in a more open and freer press
⮚Post - independence and the post - Filipino-American period in the
Philippines were experienced differently by Filipinos coming from
different classes.
- Upper principalia class experienced economic prosperity
- majority remained poor, desperate, and victims of state repression.
The selected cartoons illustrate not only the opinion of certain media
outfits about the Philippine society during the American period but
also paint a broad image of society and politics under the United
States.
POLITICS
- Filipinos at that time did not understand well
enough the essence of democracy and the accompanying
democratic institutions and processes.
⮚ Patronage also became
influential and powerful
⮚ Uncle Sam provided dole outs
for members of the Federalista
while the Nacionalista politicians
looked on and waited for their
turn.
⮚ The transition from a
Catholic-centered,
Spanish-Filipino society
to an imperial American-
assimilated one, and its
complications, were also
depicted in the cartoons.

⮚ Unprecedented increase
of motorized vehicle
⮚ “sexual revolution” by
McCoy 1930s

⮚ young people disturbed

the conservative Filipino
mindset by engaging in
daring sexual activities
in public places like
cinemas
 Lastly, the cartoons also illustrated the
conditions of the poor Filipinos in the
Philippines now governed by the United
States.
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